Arlington campus

‘Breaking ground on Virginia’s future’ at Mason Square

Colleen Rich — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 21:56:51 +0000

‘Breaking ground on Virginia’s future’ at Mason Square Colleen Rich Wed, 04/06/2022 - 17:56

The new 345,000-square-foot facility will serve as a technological hub in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor connecting students, faculty, industry and government. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

George Mason University officially welcomed a new era in Arlington with Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for Fuse at Mason Square, which will serve as a technological hub in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor connecting students, faculty, industry and government.

Mason President Gregory Washington joined a slew of elected, industry and university officials in celebrating the start of construction of the new 345,000-square-foot facility that will embody Mason’s commitment to Northern Virginia’s next-generation workforce.

“We are not just breaking ground on a building—we are truly breaking ground on Virginia’s future,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The building is slated to open in 2025.

“We are not just breaking ground on a building—we are truly breaking ground on Virginia’s future,” Washington said.

The first-of-its-kind building will bring together the public and private sectors in a collaborative alliance to address the world’s grand challenges.

“We’re all looking forward very much to see the institutional growth here, the people who will gather and collide here, and the innovations that will emanate from here,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president for global innovation policy and communications, and a Mason law school alum. “If this were a book, I’d love to turn the pages ahead a few chapters and see where all this is going, but I’m confident that you are all on the right trajectory.”

Other speakers in the roughly 90-minute program included state Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera; Mason Rector Jimmy Hazel; Mason Board of Visitors member and President’s Innovation Advisory Council member Dolly Oberoi; Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol; Mason students Maya Chatterjee and Jared Ponmakha; Clark Construction Group Senior Vice President Dave Tacchetti; Mason Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Carol Kissal; and Jamie Martin of Mason Innovation Partners. Trishana Bowden, Mason’s vice president of advancement and alumni relations, served as the program’s host.

Mason students Maya Chatterjee and Jared Ponmakha spoke as part of the groundbreaking. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Fuse at Mason Square will serve as the home to faculty and students working with the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and its partners, as well as graduate programs within Mason’s new School of Computing.

The collaborative effort is designed to promote digital innovation, active learning and cutting-edge research in the presence of business entrepreneurs, tech incubators, and education and policy makers.

Developed in partnership with Mason Innovation Partners, led by Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate, Fuse at Mason Square will be a LEED Platinum, smart, net-zero-ready building with Fitwell 2-star and RELi resiliency. It will feature a green roof for energy-efficient heating and cooling, an agile floor design to enable responsive team or project growth, and specialized labs for robotics, virtual reality, simulation, security and data visualization.

Other amenities will include community seating in a double-height atrium, a 750-seat theater-style multipurpose room, retail, a public plaza and a below-grade parking garage, making it a natural gathering place for the campus and nearby community.

This Arlington expansion supports the state of Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP), a 20-year program designed to produce more than 25,000 additional graduates in computer science, computer engineering and software engineering.

“Fuse at Mason Square will rise into the Arlington skyline,” Washington said, “and one day, it will actually greet the 22nd century.”

Topics

Campus News

Masonat50

Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)

Arlington campus

Campus Improvements (Construction)

Construction

Mason Square

Fuse at Mason Square

Celebrating Mason in Arlington with trivia, a concert, and a groundbreaking

Lauren Reuscher — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 19:14:04 +0000

Celebrating Mason in Arlington with trivia, a concert, and a groundbreaking Lauren Reuscher Tue, 03/29/2022 - 15:14

Arlington Campus, George Mason University. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The Arlington Campus will celebrate George Mason University's 50th anniversary with a series of events from April 4–8 and a new name. Festivities include a trivia competition, the debut of a new gallery exhibit, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new digital innovation development, and a retro-themed concert on the plaza.

Mason’s 50th anniversary arrives as the Arlington Campus, now called Mason Square, turns a new page in its own unique story. Fuse at Mason Square will add 350,000 square feet of space to the campus. Plans are also underway to bring vibrant new programming to the plaza, making it an lively gathering place for the campus and nearby community.

“The Arlington Campus is here because visionaries like Til Hazel and George Johnson saw the potential for Mason’s growth in this location,” said Una Murphy, director of administration and operations for the Arlington Campus. “We are building upon the programs developed over the past half-century and pushing ourselves further with the development of Mason Square and the surrounding innovation district.”

The “So You Think You Know Mason?” trivia contest on April 4 kicks off the week with a spirited round of questions based on the history of Mason and Arlington County. Participants may sign up as teams or individuals, with prizes awarded to the winners and a complimentary lunch for all. Here’s a sample question:

“The Mason law school in Arlington changed its name in 2016 to the Antonin Scalia Law School. Before that, it was the George Mason University School of Law. What was it called before it was acquired by Mason?”

Think you know the answer? Attend the event and find out.

Next on the itinerary is “Profiles in Arlington,” a new exhibit in Founders Gallery. The campus will celebrate its honorees with a reception on April 5.

“The exhibit showcases the incredible work currently being done by Arlington faculty, students, and staff, as well as our alumni in the field,” said Sara Hawes, Arlington Campus administrative officer. "This is a living project and will showcase new honorees annually.”

Wednesday’s groundbreaking highlights the unique combination of education, research, business incubation and urban amenities at Mason Square, a new model to serve the digital economy.

The celebrations will cap off on Friday, April 8, with a Decades Rewind Concert on the plaza. This family-friendly evening will include Arlington food and beverage vendors, outdoor yard games, and a live band.

The 50th anniversary events mark the start of a new era for the campus as a centerpiece of the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor.

“I am most excited about the opportunities to bring members of the community onto the campus in a more intentional way, through the unique design of the [new] building, the innovative partnerships evolving with industry and our academic units, and the robust programming on the plaza—the front door of our campus," said Murphy.

Topics

University Life Arlington

Mason Square will be Arlington’s economic development epicenter

Colleen Rich — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 21:51:19 +0000

Mason Square will be Arlington’s economic development epicenter Colleen Rich Fri, 03/25/2022 - 17:51

Visit the Mason Square website

Concept rendering by Mason Innovation Partners/EYP

To reflect its stature as the new centerpiece of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, George Mason University’s Arlington Campus is being renamed Mason Square, an urban destination of learning, collaboration, and economic development.

Also being announced is Fuse at Mason Square, the name of the new technology-forward building that is the heart of Mason’s commitment to growing Northern Virginia’s next-generation workforce. A groundbreaking ceremony for Fuse at Mason Square will take place Wednesday, April 6.

“As the largest producer of computing graduates in Virginia, George Mason University is building a new model for education’s role in economic development,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “Mason Square brings scholars, students, industry and the region together at a destination—unlike any other—that takes ideas and research to market faster, and drives policy and technology solutions forward for decades to come.”

Fuse at Mason Square is a first-of-its-kind facility bringing together the public and private sectors in a collaborative alliance to solve grand challenges. Fuse will house faculty and students working with the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and their partners, and graduate programs from Mason’s new School of Computing. Designed to support digital innovation, active learning, cutting-edge research, business entrepreneurs, and tech incubators alongside education and policymakers, the new space offers nearly 350,000 square feet designed for the needs of the next generation of Northern Virginia’s technology workforce.

Developed in partnership with Mason Innovation Partners, led by Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, Fuse at Mason Square will be a LEED Platinum, smart, net-zero-ready building with Fitwel 2-star and RELi resiliency certifications. It will feature a green roof for energy-efficient heating and cooling, an agile floor design to enable responsive team or project growth, and specialized labs for robotics, virtual reality (VR), simulation, security, and data visualization.

Fuse at Mason Square also features community seating in a double-height atrium, a 750-seat theater-style multipurpose room, retail, a public plaza, and a below-grade parking garage. Estimated completion for the building is summer 2025.

“Fuse at Mason Square blends Mason’s best-in-class programs and the Institute for Digital Innovation with the expansion of connected industry partnerships and research endeavors on the Arlington Campus,” said Jamie Martin, vice president at Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate. “Fuse will ignite Mason Square as a destination for tech talent development and industry-directed research and will become the center of digital innovation in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the greater Washington, D.C., region.”

Mason Square, in Arlington’s Virginia Square neighborhood, will support a multidisciplinary ecosystem to enable rapid incubation and scale of new ideas and inventions. In addition to the new building, Mason Square includes the integrated capacities of the Antonin Scalia Law School, the Schar School of Policy and Government, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, programs in Arts Management and the School of Business, Mason Enterprise, and Continuing and Professional Education, as well as state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities. This onsite combination of education, research, business incubation and urban amenities is a new model to serve the digital economy.

“We look forward to this new building and program, Fuse at Mason Square, attracting start-ups, investors and community organizations to Arlington in order to work alongside Mason innovators,” said Katie Cristol, Arlington County Board chair. “This proximity will spark innovation and new partnerships, and the research, programs and talent that will thrive here will be a cutting-edge asset for the regional economy for decades to come.”

The Arlington expansion at Mason Square supports the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP), a 20-year program designed to produce 25,000 additional graduates in computer science, computer engineering and software engineering.

Topics

Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)